Concrete dam structure



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Patented May l, 1945 UNHTE STATES PTSEN OFFICE CONCRETE DAM STRUCTURE Henry Sorensen, Los Angeles, Calif. Application September 19, 1944, Serial No. 554,735 s Claims.l (C1. rs1-3 2) My invention, herein, relates to a specific-utilization of my invention for the erection of mass concrete blocks, as contained in my U. S. Patents #1,888,097, Nov. 15, 1932, and #1,889,267 Nov. 2,9 1932, and resides in providing quick and eiective accessibility to every interior part of a concrete dam for the repairs of damages done by bombings, or of damages originating-from any other cause, while avoiding the lowering of the stored waters, which are the source from where hydroelectric power is obtained.

I have described my invention in the following specification and illustrated the same in the accompanying drawing, of which:

Fig. l is an interiorvertical cross section of the dam.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken at 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken at 3-3 of Fig. 1. l

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary part of the dam illustrating a removable trap-door with its attachment and which covers the entrance to the dam.

Similar numerals designate similar parts and numeral I designates a concrete dam. 2 designates rectangular shaped shafts. 3 designates the one set of opposed shaft walls. 4 designates the other set of opposed shaft walls. 5 designates galleries. 6 designates slanting `upper ends of walls 3. l designates lsteel reinforcements. 8 designates drainage tunnels. 9 designates drain- I designates a Vertical side of dam I. II designates a slanting sideof dam I. I2 designates entrance openings in the crown of dam I. I3 designates crushed rock. waters. I `designates bed-rock foundation. I6 designates a solid end plate covering the toe of dam I. Il designates bolts holding end plate I6. I8 designates the floor of dam I resting on. bedrock I5. I9 designates a trap-door covering entrance opening I2. 2u designates bolts securing trap-door I9. 2| designates an interior water locking and pressure imposing'device. 22 designates cut threads in .device 2| and trap-door I9. 23 designates openings through walls 4. 24 designates water occupying the interior of dam I.

The opposed walls 4,01" shafts 2, firmly connect the vertical side I Il with the slanting side I I, sides Ill and II being opposed to each other.

The upper parts of the other opposed walls 3, of shafts 2, and which connect walls 4, terminate in slanting ends 6. These slanting ends 6 have, preferably, the same pitch as slanting side II, said parts 6 and I I being suitably spaced, thus forming slanting galleries 5 parallel with slanting I4 designates stored side I I, the sides of said galleries 5 being formed by the opposed walls l with the roof and floor of said galleries 5 formed, respectively, by slanting side II and slantingends 6, while said walls 4 rigidly connect side lll with side II, of dam I, as above referred to.

OnFig. 2, which is a vertical cross -section taken at 2 2 on Fig. 1, I have illustrated the four surrounding surfaces of slanting galleries 5, Viz:- their two sides formed by walls 4 with their floors formed by slanting tops 6, of walls 3, and their roofs formed by the slanting side I I,

I flll shafts 2 with a removable material, preferably crushed rock I3, iiush with slanting floors 6 of galleries 5 and, as will be understood by Fig. 1, the upper parts of shafts 2 then become furnished with continuous slanting galleries 5 having, preferably, a parallel pitch with slanting side I I.

Each one of the parallel and rectilineal slanting rows of galleries 5, which follow the pitch of slanting side II, is reached through their openings I2 in the crown of dam I, with each individual one of shafts 2 accessible for repair work by sinking in rock I3 from galleries 5, while the interior of side I I is equally well reached from any overhead place of galleries 5. Openings I2 are covered by removable trap-doors I9, which are firmly held by bolts 2U, when closed,

Should side I0, of dam I, become damaged by bombings, or damaged by any other cause, then all that need be done is first to open drainage valves 9, valves 9 being securely held by end-plate I6 which, in turn, is rmly held by bolts Il, whereupon stop-gap appliances can be lowered against the outside of side I to cover the damaged part. The pressure from stored waters I4 will then facilitate a tight contact between said appliances and the face of side Ill, while all spillwaters be-l come drained through the crushed rock I3 and tunnels 8 in the bottom of walls 3, and repair crews, .when sinking in shafts 2 and afterr first having removed trap-doors I9, will have a firm footing on crushed rock I3, from where they will easily and conveniently make any repairs from y I its upstream side Ill and its downstream side II,

with its interior honeycombed by its galleries 5, its shafts 2 and its drainage tunnels 8.

Downstream side II consists of an unbroken' and integral sheet of concrete with steel members 'I interlocking with other steel members 1 in walls 4 and oor I8 of shafts 2, as illustrated in Fig. 2, to resist the water-pressure originating in the interior of dam I and to which I will make further references below.'

Floor IB, of dam I, rests on bed-rock foundation I5, and I prefer to firmly unite side I0 and side I I with walls 3 and 4, as well as with floor I8, into one integral mass by means of reinforcements 1, as illustrated on Fig. l, Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 and this lashing together of said parts 3, 4, I0, II and I8 renables me to achieve the following:

When the interior of dam I becomes'lled with waters, due to a cracking of side Ill, then I counter act the pressure of said interior. waters, against the inside of side II, by means of the weight of those same waters because;-the weight of said interior waters, bearing down on iioor I8, then holds side II to floor I8 through their connecting walls 4;--thus I convert side II into a secondary line of defense for the maintenance of stored waters .I4 to their full hight,after the usefulness of side I0, for that purpose, has been temporarily destroyed by bombings and until the damage to side Il) is repaired;-the maintained hight ofthe stored waters I4 being thepre-requisite for theuninterrupted production of hydroelectric power,

In other wordsz-down-stream side Iihave called the second defense line of dam I, holds the stored waters I4 to their full hight, till the above referred to stop-gap appliances are inl place on the outside of side IU;

It will readily be understood, that alone by the application of my simple and novel invention to use slanting galleries 5, from where to sink into shafts 2 for repair work, can eicient; and quick repairs be conducted from the inside of dam I.

Had I used a system of horizontal tunnels, the one below the other, then the cumbersome method of also having to raise in shafts 2, insteadof sinking everywhere, would so hamper and retard all work, as to make the use of horizontal tunnels highly yundesirable,-besides which practically all repair work would then have to be conducted from the lower parts of dam I and from there upwards. i

My simple and novel invention of using slanting galleries 5, supported by drainage tunnels 8, makes my invention a, practical reality to maintain the full hight of the stored waters I4 during war-time bombings.

The spillway, which carries away the surplus water, is not illustrated in the drawings, but that water can be diverted by any known and desired method.

Fig. 4 ,discloses a modification of my invention, which is in line with my invention to safeguard hydro-electric power during war-time emergencies and illustrates an enlarged fragmentary drawing of the upper part of dam I, having a device 2I which locks and imposes pressureon interior waters 24 of dam I, said device being attached to trap-door I9.

Waters 24 are lled, throughout the whole interior of dam I, clear up to water locking and pressure imposing device 2l, said device 2I consisting of a cylindrical and threaded body, which is adapted to be turned down in corresponding threads 22 occupying a round hole in trap-door I I, which i I9 so that, when device-2l is turned down in firm contact with waters 24, said waters 24 then become an iniiexible and locked hydro unit, which no known concussion can shatter or heave apart, before the outside walls of dam I are cracked open,-but before said cracking of the outside walls of dam I can take place, the interior locked and pressure subjected hydro-unit 24 will have served the purpose to act as a powerful protection against any outside bombing shocks by neutralizing, absorbing and distributing said shocks throughout the whole cubic contents of the interior locked and pressure subjected waters 24,- thereby materially lessening the effects of the shocks caused by the bombs, exploded against the outside of dam I, and in that manner greatly reduce the damage, otherwise caused.

I prefer to cut openings 23 through the top of walls 4, thereby making it necessary to only have one locking and pressure imposing device 2l for the whole block of dam I, in which waters 24 are lled, these openings 23 making it possible to instantaneously absorb, distribute and neutralize the -bombing shocks, against the outside of dam I, throughout the whole interior mass of the locked and pressure subjected waters 24,'under the well known lawz-that waters, when filling a closed container, will `instantaneously distribute any pressure, at one given point, evenly throughout the whole interior of said container, regardless of the shape of said container.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention,

I claim: l

l. In a concrete dam comprising an integral block between its upstream and downstream sides and containing a row of controlled drainage equipped spaced shafts; providing means Whereby said shafts are totally incased internal slanting galleries connecting the upper parts of said incased shafts, an entrance to said galleries passing through the higher portion of said dam and means adapted to counteract interior water-pressures against the inside of said downstream side.

2. In a concrete dam comprising an integral block between its upstream and downstream sides and containing a row of controlled drainage equipped spaced shafts; providing means whereby said shafts are totally incased internal slanting galleries connecting the upper parts of said incased shafts, an entrance to said galleries passf ing through the crown of said dam, a trap-door (iii controlling said entrance and means adapted to counteract interior water-pressures against the inside of said downstream side.

3. In a. concrete dam comprising an integral block between its upstream and downstream sides and containing a row of controlled ydrainage equipped spaced shafts; providing means whereby said .shafts are totally incased internal slanting galleries connecting the upper parts of said incased shafts, an entrance to said galleries passing through the crown of said darn, a trap-door controlling said entrance, said trap-door sealing transient water filling the interior of said dam, a

pressure imposing device operating on said water and means adapted to counteract interior waterpressures against the inside of said downstream side.

l HENRY SORENSEN. 

